1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention generally relates to field of computer systems and more particularly to maintaining the integrity of computer system software configuration files.
2. History of Related Art
Although a large number of computer systems share a common processor architecture or a common operating system, a great detail of variation exists in the way computer systems are implemented by various manufacturers and even by a single manufacturer. These minor and sometimes less than minor variations present a source of considerable challenge for field service engineering personnel when they are required to determine the source of a non-functional or less than fully functional system. The task is frequently made still more complicated and difficult by the presence of configuration files that are easily altered by users with a casual knowledge of the system. Configuration files provide a mechanism by which system and application program parameters may be altered to enable users to customize their machines. By altering configuration files, two computer system that contain essentially identical hardware can be made to behave in different fashions. The format, syntax, and content of configuration files are typically required to conform to a rigid specification. If the configuration files are edited or modified in a manner that leaves the files in a state that is not consistent with the specified format, an application program or an entire system may cease to function in the desired manner. When a system fails, the customer is likely to request the assistance of a field service engineer from the manufacturer of the system. If the source of the problem cannot be easily determined remotely, the field service personnel are then typically required to visit the customer's location to analyze the source of the problem. The field service engineer will frequently be equipped with standardized diagnostic system software that checks the various components of the system for functionality. These diagnostic programs are typically directed primarily at verifying the functionality and configuration of the system's hardware components since no diagnostic routine can be expected to anticipate the virtually endless permutations of software configurations that may be possible for a given system. Thus, when a system crash or other failure is caused by an improperly modified configuration file, a routine field service visit may not be sufficient to remedy the problem. If this is the case, the system must then be diagnosed by one or more persons with a more intimate knowledge of the system's software and configuration settings. Thus, it is not uncommon for a computer system manufacturer to spend more time servicing and maintaining a system that has been improperly modified by the system's user or users than it spends servicing a system with a detectable hardware problem. Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to implement a method and mechanism by which unauthorized modifications of configuration files are easily detected to insure that a field servicing event is not initiated until the software configuration of the computer system has been verified. It would be further desirable if the method of verifying the software configuration was implemented with a minim impact on existing software and hardware and without significantly increasing the cost or complexity of the computer system.